Frank Deford is a contradiction. Perhaps the world's most decorated sportswriter, Deford never set out to be in sports. But in the mid–60's, as a former teammate of Princeton All–American Bill Bradley, and a new hire at the fledgling magazine Sports Illustrated, Deford's storied career began to write itself.

"Bill Bradley had been a freshman at Princeton when I was a senior, and so I knew how good he was. In those days people didn’t have scouting services for 8th graders and I told the people at Sports Illustrated, ‘Believe it or not, the best sophomore in the country is this kid at Princeton,’ and they all laughed at me. But they said, ‘Oh, go on down and do a story on him.’ And I’ve told Bill, Senator Bradley, many times that he certainly gave me a springboard."

That springboard led to 15 books, 6 Sportswriter of the Year awards and a place in the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. You see, Deford's pen is mightier than the swords of the gladiators he's covered for five decades. And yet, he cringes at the thought of sitting in a press box.

"I’ve been to enough games. Going to a baseball in July doesn’t get my blood pumping. I’m lucky because I’m not just in the press box everyday. I’m allowed to roam. The subjects we do on Real Sports on HBO are basically human interest – they’re peripherally about sports. They’re about people and that’s want I’ve always wanted to write about."